Friday, December 24, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Vision in White by Nora Roberts
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Vision in White (Bride Quartet #1)
by Nora Roberts
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts cordially invites you to meet childhood friends Parker, Emma, Laurel, and Mac the founders of Vows, one of Connecticut’s premier wedding planning companies.After years of throwing make-believe weddings in the backyard, flowers, photography, desserts, and details are what these women do best: a guaranteed perfect, beautiful day full of memories to last the rest of your life.
With bridal magazine covers to her credit, Mackensie “Mac” Elliot is most at home behind the camera ready to capture the happy moments she never experienced while growing up. Her father replaced his first family with a second, and now her mother, moving on to yet another man, begs Mac for attention and money. Mac’s foundation is jostled again moments before an important wedding planning meeting when she bumps into the bride-to-be’s brother…an encounter that has them both seeing stars.
Carter Maguire is definitely not her type: he’s stable, and he’s safe. He’s even an English teacher at their high school alma mater. There’s something about him that makes Mac think a casual fling is just what she needs to take her mind off dealing with bride-zillas and screening her mother’s phone calls. But a casual fling can turn into something more when you least expect it. And with the help of her three best friends and business partners Mac must learn how to make her own happy memories…
My Review;
I give this book 5 stars! I really LOVED this book, and for me this a pretty big step because usually I hate romance stories, but this one had some great characters, they weren't all "perfect" they seemed more real and I thought the friendship between the four main characters was very real and I loved reading about how much time, effort and planning go into making a lovely and wonderful wedding for each bride and "bridezilla"!
I thought the plot was well done and believable and my favorite character was Carter, I am so in love with him!
I cannot wait to read the other three books in this series, this just seemed such an appropriate book for this time of year.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Kiss of Fire by Deborah Cooke
Kiss of Fire (Dragonfire #1)
For millennia, the shape-shifting dragon warriors known as the Pyr have commanded the four elements and guarded the earth's treasures. But now the final reckoning between the Pyr, who count humans among the earth's treasures, and the Slayers, who would eradicate both humans and the Pyr who protect them, is about to begin... When Sara Keegan decides to settle down and run her quirky aunt's New Age bookstore, she's not looking for adventure. She doesn't believe in fate or the magic of the tarot--but when she's saved from a vicious attack by a man who has the ability to turn into a fire-breathing dragon, she questions whether she's losing her mind--or about to lose her heart...Quinn Tyrrell has long been distrustful of his fellow Pyr and a self-reliant loner. So when he feels the firestorm that signals his destined mate, he's determined to protect and possess Sara, regardless of the cost to himself. Then Sara's true destiny is revealed--and Quinn realizes he must risk everything--even Sara's love--to fulfill their entwined fates...
My Review; 5 stars!
I really enjoyed this book, it was very difficult to put down once I started to read it. I love dragons and a book about men that shape shift into dragons appealed to me, this is a very well written book, some steamy romance, and alot of action, but also a great story and some very interesting subplots I will definitely be reading the rest of the books in this series!
Friday, November 26, 2010
A Thread of Grace by Mary Dora Russell
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A Thread of Grace {Unabridged Audio}
It is September 8, 1943, and fourteen-year-old Claudette Blum is learning Italian with a suitcase in her hand. She and her father are among the thousands of Jewish refugees scrambling over the Alps toward Italy, where they hope to be safe at last, now that the Italians have broken with Germany and made a separate peace with the Allies. The Blums will soon discover that Italy is anything but peaceful, as it becomes overnight an open battleground among the Nazis, the Allies, resistance fighters, Jews in hiding, and ordinary Italian civilians trying to survive.
Mary Doria Russell sets her first historical novel against this dramatic background, tracing the lives of a handful of fascinating characters. Through them, she tells the little-known but true story of the network of Italian citizens who saved the lives of forty-three thousand Jews during the war's final phase. The result of five years of meticulous research, A Thread of Grace is an ambitious, engrossing novel of ideas, history, and marvelous characters that will please Russell's many fans and earn her even more.
My Review:
This was a wonderful book, I loved it, the narrator was terrific, did a great job of doing the different voices and accents of the large cast of characters in this book.
It is a heartbreaking and beautiful story and I finished listening to it on Thanksgiving, which was perfect because after listening to all the hardships the characters had to endure in this book because of the war and the horrific losses they suffered it just made me so grateful for my family, freedom, my country and friends!
I thought that all the different plots going on were very interesting and suspenseful and her characters were very well drawn, I would find myself thinking about them after listening to the tapes at different times in my days, they seemed very real to me.
I give the book 5 stars!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova / with my review
The Historian
In 1972, a 16-year-old American living in Amsterdam finds a mysterious book in her diplomat father's library. The book is ancient, blank except for a sinister woodcut of a dragon and the word "Drakulya," but it's the letters tucked inside, dated 1930 and addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor," that really pique her curiosity.
Her widowed father, Paul, reluctantly provides pieces of a chilling story; it seems this ominous little book has a way of forcing itself on its owners, with terrifying results. Paul's former adviser at Oxford, Professor Rossi, became obsessed with researching Dracula and was convinced that he remained alive. When Rossi disappeared, Paul continued his quest with the help of another scholar, Helen, who had her own reasons for seeking the truth. As Paul relates these stories to his daughter, she secretly begins her own research.
Kostova builds suspense by revealing the threads of her story as the narrator discovers them: what she's told, what she reads in old letters and, of course, what she discovers directly when the legendary threat of Dracula looms. Along with all the fascinating historical information, there's also a mounting casualty count, and the big showdown amps up the drama by pulling at the heartstrings at the same time it revels in the gruesome.
Exotic locales, tantalizing history, a family legacy and a love of the bloodthirsty: it's hard to imagine that readers won't be bitten, too
reprinted from Goodreads site.
My Review;
Five stars for this book! I LOVED it!! The characters are so well drawn and from the author's excellent descriptions of the places the characters visited, I felt as if I could actually see the lovely countryside, the castles, monasteries, temples and old libraries, etc.
This book has a lot of suspense and was never boring. It is one of the best vampire books I've read in a long time and definitely deals very well with the Dracula legend. No Sparkling vampires in this book!
The ending was a bit of a wicked twist and I have learned never, ever to pick up and keep an old, dusty book that does not belong to me, no matter how tempting it may be, it is a far better idea to leave sleeping dragons (or books) lay!
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Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The Third Victim by Lisa Gardner
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The Third Victim (Quincy & Rainie #2)
by Lisa Gardner
An unspeakable act has ripped apart the idyllic town of Bakersville, Oregon, and its once-peaceful residents are demanding quick justice. But though a boy has confessed to the horrific crime, evidence shows he may not be guilty.
Officer Rainie Conner, leading her first homicide investigation, stands at the center of the controversy. It's hitting too close to home, bringing back her worst nightmares, threatening to expose her secret sins. But with the boy's life at stake, she won't let anything stop her from finding the real killer.
With the help of FBI profiler Pierce Quincy, Rainie comes closer to a deadly truth than she can imagine. Because out there in the shadows a man watches her and plots his next move. He knows her secrets. He kills for sport. He's already brought death to Bakersville and forever shattered the community. But what he has really come for is Rainie -- and he won't leave until he has destroyed her....
My review - 5 stars
Great book, excellent character development, I love the team and Quincy & Raine, and I can't wait to read the other books in this series! Very tense page turner, and some interesting twists in this story. I read this book in two days and the characters became very real to me, to the point of wanting to know what happens to them after the book is finished. I highly recommend this book if you like murder mystery thrillers.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
A to Z Book Challenge
Karen has a great blog, she reviews books, includes some of her youtube videos, has IMM posts, exciting challenges and lots of other interesting book related items, wander over and check her blog out sometime!
Below is a list of the 26 books I have chosen they are all on my bookcases at home so this should help lighted my TBR pile somewhat!
Okay here is my list for the Alphabet Challenge;
1. Amagansett by Mark Mills
2. Blackbird by Jennifer Lauck
3. Casual by Oksana Robski
4. Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
6. Fatal Flowers by Rosemary Daniell
7. Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
8. Henry's Sisters by Cathy Lamb
9. In the Hand of Dante by Nick Tosches
10. Jesus Out to Sea by Jame Lee Burke
11. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
12. Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward
13. Meg Hell's Aquarium by Steve Alten
14. Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson
15. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
16. Phantasies by George MacDonald
17. Queen of the Oddballs by Hillary Carlip
18. Remembering Blue by Connie May Fowler
19. Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella
20. Those Who Saved Us by Jenna Blum
21. Upstate by Kalisha Buckhanon
22. Vanish by Tess Gerritsen
23. Wit's End by Karen Joy Fowler
24. Xenocide, book 3 in the Ender series by Orson Scott Card
25. You Suck by Christopher Moore
26. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pisig
Wish me luck!
The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell by Lillian Jackson Braun
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The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell (Cat Who... #28)
My review;
4 stars I have read all "The Cat Who" mysteries and I really enjoy them, this one is no exception. They are a light, fluffy kind of read. The first ones in the series were a lot more detailed, better mysteries and I loved how I learned about something about an unique subject, for instance walnuts, in each book.
The more recent books in this series have not had as much character development as the earlier ones and the mystery is usually kind of an afterthought to whatever else is going on in Pickax with Mr. Q and the cats, but I still like these fun, quick reads!
This is the first book in my yearly 50 book challenge group on Shelfarie.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Unbelievable by Sara Sheperd
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Unbelievable (Pretty Little Liars #4)
Emily's been shipped off to Iowa to live with her überconservative cousins. Aria's boyfriend is behind bars—because of her. Spencer's afraid she was involved in Ali's murder. But Hanna's fate is far worse: She's clinging to life in the hospital because she knew too much.
If these girls don't start listening to me, Hanna's going to look like the lucky one. Reprinted from the Goodreads site.
My Review;
5 Stars!
Great addition to this highly addictive YA series. I was right about the identity of A and how A got their information on the girls. But of course this book ended with a major twist that I didn't see coming, so now I have to get the next book; "Wicked"!
Hannah was getting on my last nerve in this book, I think she is my least favorite of the girls and I cannot believe the dumb decisions these girls make sometimes, but their lives are anything but dull so I will have to get the next book in the series; "Wicked"!
Friday, October 1, 2010
A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin,
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A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4)
A Feast for Crows
It seems too good to be true. After centuries of bitter strife and fatal treachery, the seven powers dividing the land have decimated one another into an uneasy truce. Or so it appears....With the death of the monstrous King Joffrey, Cersei is ruling as regent in King’s Landing. Robb Stark’s demise has broken the back of the Northern rebels, and his siblings are scattered throughout the kingdom like seeds on barren soil. Few legitimate claims to the once desperately sought Iron Throne still exist—or they are held in hands too weak or too distant to wield them effectively. The war, which raged out of control for so long, has burned itself out.
But as in the aftermath of any climactic struggle, it is not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters start to gather, picking over the bones of the dead and fighting for the spoils of the soon-to-be dead. Now in the Seven Kingdoms, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed, while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—are seen emerging from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges ahead.
It is a time when the wise and the ambitious, the deceitful and the strong will acquire the skills, the power, and the magic to survive the stark and terrible times that lie before them. It is a time for nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages to come together and stake their fortunes...and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors. (from Goodreads site)
My review; 5 stars/a favorite
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, this series, the setting, the characters, the action, the dialogue, use of POV- characters, the list is just endless of the reasons I LOVE this series! There is so much intrigue, romance, war, spys, backstabbing, family fights, and lest I forget, DRAGONS!, although in this particular book the dragons are talked about, but don't really appear! I cannot wait for the next book in this series!!
Blue Shoe by Anne Lamott
Blue Shoe
by Anne Lamott
Mattie Ryder is marvelously neurotic, well-intentioned, funny, religious, sarcastic, tender, angry, and broke. And her life at the moment is a wreck: her marriage has failed, her mother is failing, her house is rotting, her waist is expanding (and she's a perfect size 12 model at Sears), she has a crush on a married man, and her two young children are behaving the way young children in the midst of a divorce behave. Then she comes upon a small rubber blue shoe - the kind you might get from a gum ball machine - and a few other trifles that were left years ago in her deceased father's car. They hold the clues to her messy upbringing, and as Mattie and her brother follow these clues to uncover the secrets of their past, she begins to open her heart to her difficult, brittle mother and to the father she only thought she knew.(published from the Goodreads site)
My review;
This was an audio book I listened to on the way to and from work, it was okay, the narrator was great, but the story was just kind of so so, I didn't like alot of the characters, especially the main character Mattie.
The storyline just kind meandered, I'm not sure if I'll read another book by this author or not.
My review;
This was an audio book I listened to on the way to and from work, it was okay, the narrator was great, but the story was just kind of so so, I didn't like alot of the characters, especially the main character Mattie.
The storyline just kind meandered, I'm not sure if I'll read another book by this author or not.
Monday, September 27, 2010
The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
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The House on Tradd Street
by Karen White
A brilliant, chilling series debut, featuring a Charleston real estate agent who loves old houses - and the secret histories inside them.
Practical Melanie Middleton hates to admit she can see ghosts. But she's going to have to accept it. An old man she recently met has died, leaving her his historic Tradd Street home, complete with housekeeper, dog and a family of ghosts anxious to tell her their secrets.
Enter Jack Trenholm, a gorgeous writer obsessed with unsolved mysteries. He has reason to believe that diamonds from the Confederate Treasury are hidden in the house. So he turns the charm on with Melanie, only to discover he's the smitten one...
It turns out Jack's search has caught the attention of a malevolent ghost. Now, Jack and Melanie must unravel a mystery of passion, heartbreak and even murder.
Practical Melanie Middleton hates to admit she can see ghosts. But she's going to have to accept it. An old man she recently met has died, leaving her his historic Tradd Street home, complete with housekeeper, dog and a family of ghosts anxious to tell her their secrets.
Enter Jack Trenholm, a gorgeous writer obsessed with unsolved mysteries. He has reason to believe that diamonds from the Confederate Treasury are hidden in the house. So he turns the charm on with Melanie, only to discover he's the smitten one...
It turns out Jack's search has caught the attention of a malevolent ghost. Now, Jack and Melanie must unravel a mystery of passion, heartbreak and even murder.
My thoughts;
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